Airport

Airport

bbermingham@corkcity.ie www.bbermingham.com

Since 1996 Cork Airport has increased in size and stature, according to a report released by UCC's Department of Economics. [Spring 2002]

The report, 'The Role of Cork Airport and Regional Development: Strategic Opportunities' was commissioned by Aer Rianta and highlights the airport's impact on the south-west region during a period that saw 1.7 million passengers passing through its doors in 2000.

UCC economists, Dr Elia Kavanagh, Dr Eoin O'Leary and Dr Edward Shinnick, the report's authors, found that between 1995 and 2001, the number of jobs linked to the airport increased by almost 200 percent to 3,000.

In addition, the report shows that in the year 2000, spending by non-resident visitors to the Southwest region supported 5,500 jobs, a significant increase on the 1995 job level of 3,500. The combined overall impact of Cork Airport, taking the Business Park and spending by non-resident visitors to the region, may amount to as many as 8,800 jobs for the year 2001.

The UCC report states that the airport acts as a prime economic catalyst by providing the necessary infrastructure to attract new Industries.

To ensure continued success Cork Airport must urgently invest in expansion. It also recommends improvement in a number of the airport's current services and facilities. These include the introduction of extra European routes, the addition of more low cost carrier routes and more cargo flights to the USA.

14/08/02

State aims to give airports more autonomy By Mary Dundon, Political Reporter, Irish Examiner
SHANNON and Cork airports will be made independent of Dublin next month in a radical shake-up of the industry.
The aim is to make all three airports more competitive and ensure they deliver low-cost travel, a senior Government official said yesterday.

The Progressive Democrats made the autonomy of Cork and Shannon airports a major plank of their election manifesto and it was adopted in the Programme for Government.

Transport Minister Seamus Brennan will bring the proposal to the first Cabinet meeting next month and it will be announced officially in the middle of September.

“There was a feeling Dublin was not giving the other two airports a fair deal and this is why the Government is proceeding with the plan,” the senior official added.

The move to make Shannon and Cork more independent comes just a week after Mr Brennan moved to bring more competition to Dublin airport by seeking proposals from the private sector to build a second low-cost airline terminal there.

Aer Rianta currently manages all three State airports through a centralised board in Dublin which also controls the company’s overall budget.

But Shannon and Cork will now get their own autonomous boards, separate major budgets and freedom to generate their own business, the Government official confirmed. This will deplete Aer Rianta’s power and budget in Dublin considerably.

Aer Rianta which has consistently opposed independent boards and budgets for Shannon and Cork airports refused to comment yesterday until the move is announced officially.

But the main driving force behind the Progressive Democrats’ aviation policy, Tadhg Kearney welcomed the move.

“This will lift Irish air transport to a new level of growth and Minister Brennan has done five years work in his first five weeks in office,” Mr Kearney said.

As chairman of the Air Transport Users Council of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (ATUC), Mr Kearney warned that it was important to put people with aviation, financial and professional expertise on the new airport boards.

“There is no point in filling these boards with political quangos - the structure must be right if they are to work,” Mr Kearney added.

Cork Airport Director Joe O’Connor said Aer Rianta has a commitment to invest 130 million there to build a new terminal and car park and he was satisfied with that.

Shannon Airport Director Martin Moroney said he had no comment to make.

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